Simple Emotion
by leaf the invisible
Summary: Fran considers her place in the world, and why she belongs among the Humes. Balthier grieves his father, after long last.


Her kind and his did not mix well. Hers belonged to the wood, his believed them to be less than humes.

Yet he chose not to abandon her.

It was more than just being a partner. More than just both being Pirates. Garnet eyes considered the Hume beside her. He was still a child, but yet not. He was strong and yet weak.

He had not mourned his father, though she felt he was pained by the man's death. It had been easy to allow him to bottle it up while they had been chasing Bahamut and Vayne with the others. Their time of recovery though, he should have taken some time for himself then. Instead he had focused completely on her, and her recovery. The sort of devotion she had never expected from any Hume partner she might work with.

A scowl coaxed it's way onto his lips, not the first in recent months. "We need to get the Strahl back, that is all there is to it."

"Then we return and get it." She let her lips quirk into half a smile. "Though I am certain young Vaan will not be ready to give her up.."

"He can get his own ship." There was a note of irritation. She felt herself getting even more amused. The Viera shifted slightly and then stretched lazily, not missing the way those dark eyes flicked to her, and over her some. He had promised to behave himself those few years back, when they had first partnered up, but she knew he could not deny to himself the attraction. It was normal. Hume's thought of her kind as pretty play things, sensual pleasure beings.

But Balthier kept his word. His looks he kept to himself, his hands never straying to touch inappropriately, not even when she should not have been able to object, his words staying polite an just shy of pure flattery. The Hume's had a phrase for it, "being a Gentleman," she'd heard them say.

Perhaps that is why she felt she would not object if he once acted on his desires. For a child, he was appealing. He was pleasant to look at, intelligent, and she, liked to be with him. She would never part from him, even if he did decide to give up being a Pirate and settled down.

"You have not mourned." She said finally. It was a heavy weight on her mind, that he did not allow himself the time to grieve. It was not natural for either species...

"Why should I? He was a foolish old man clinging to dreams he could not attain." The bite wasn't in his voice that the statement should have had.

"Because he was your blood." Simple statement, one that caused brown eyes to flick up to her face silently. His hand tensed slightly around the cup it held.

"I left the parts of me that resembled him Much to long ago." He was trying to make an excuse. Her nose twitched quietly and she moved to get up smoothly.

"Like a sulking child you are."

"Fran.."

Garnet eyes flicked to him, rested there for moments before she turned to leave the table. "When you wish to grow, I will be in our room." With that she strode off towards the stairs, and the room they had rented.

Balthier, Sky Pirate, former Arcadian nobility, blinked after his partner a few times. Sometimes the Viera confused him to the utmost. That statement had sounded...perhaps a little suggestive? But Fran wasn't like that. He knew her well. She was cool, and quite on the less, sensual side. She was an excellent partner though, a brilliant mechanic, he would be lost without her. He had been...lost before her. He lifted his cup to finish the drink in it. He wondered if she'd caught on that he watched her sleep as often as he did. Or maybe it was something else. He'd always kept his word to her...

And that was why He would not abandon her. Why he'd watched over her recovery like a hawk. Why now he allowed her to say things to him that he would not allow someone else.

"I will not mourn that fool." He muttered, then with a frown he put down his cup and stood. She was going to make suggestive overtures, perhaps he should take her up on them. Or at least ask her why the hell she was doing it. With that resolve he started after the Viera, determined to get to the bottom of her behavior.

Fran was not at all surprised that he appeared as soon as he did. She silently continued to remove her leathers as if he had not entered the room. His eyes had no problem following her motions, and it made her shiver. They were intense. Of all the Hume's to have their eyes on her, his were the ones she found herself desiring most, and his were the hottest.

"Fran." He managed, though his voice was a little thicker than usual.

"Hmm?" She kicked her shoes aside, stretched up onto her toes and then moved to settle onto the bed quite fluidly, as if not aware of her state of undress. He swallowed, having difficulties lifting his eyes to her face.

"Fran I..."

"Come here.." She cut him off. "I wish to...show you my thanks." The expression of confusion that covered his features made her half smile.

"..Fran, I promised you..." He started, though his fingers twitched slightly at his thigh. She smirked openly now and lifted a hand.

"I am releasing you from your promise." It was like breaking a spell. She knew Balthier was fast, but Fran had not realized quite how fast. Not that it mattered, his lips pressed against hers felt good, very good, perfect even. Balthier ignored his usual neat pattern of undressing in favor of getting skin contact as quickly as possible.

If his lips were perfection, the feeling of him on her, around her, inside her, was beyond anything in Ivalice. Her nails marked his back, her teeth his neck and she found herself falling into bliss. It was everything the wood had given her, and more. Her pirate...he was hers completely.

And when he cried himself exhausted afterwards she simply held him. Grief caught up to everyone sooner or later.

Hours later, in the dark he shifted, her hand slide through the hair on the back of his head and awkwardly their lips met. "I'm sorry."

"For what Balthier?" Fingers trailed a bit more gently. Her eyes studied his dim form. His head fell to rest against her shoulder.

"For...You know what for Fran..." He sighed heavily, she could sense another wave of grief wash over him and shifted to hug him close once again.

"He was your father, you have every right to grieve his loss." She assured softly. "And when you are ready, I will show you everything that you still have to live for."

"mm Oh?" She could feel his eyes close against her neck. "I have everything I could imagine needing right here..."

Fran was quiet for several moments then smiled softly into the dark. She could finally let go of the Wood as well, her heart was here, among the Humes.


End file.
